Laurel Hedging – Varieties and Characteristics

Category: Hedging

Laurel Hedging – 2009 Supplier Listing and Current Offers

Laurel hedging is often found in parks in the UK but is also widely used in gardens. It makes an effective green backcloth for borders. Cherry laurels the commonly grown “Rotundifolia” and the dwarf “Otto Luyken”. The related Portugul laurel also makes a very attractive hedge. The spotted laurel are not related to the cherry laurel but also make a very good hedging plant.

Common Name:	Cherry Laurel
Botanical Name:	Prunus laurocerasus “Rotundifolia”
Description:	This evergreen shrub quickly grows into a dense hedge with glossy dark green leaves which are half as broad as they are long. Has long spikes of small single white flowers from mid-late Spring followed by red/black fruits. Makes a very good screening hedge.
Native Hedge?	No
Formal or Informal Hedge?	Formal
Evergreen Hedge?	Yes
Ideal Height:	Medium-Tall 2- 6m
Average growth p.a.	Medium (up to 30cm p.a)
Suitable conditions	Does best in an acid soil but tolerates most types including dry and wet soil.
Unsuitable conditions	Coastal areas, exposed windy sites, chalky soil
Poisonous?	Yes
Responds to renovation?	Yes – cut back to 60cm stumps.
Planting Distance	45-60cm
Maintenance:	Medium (prune with secateurs in early Spring or late Summer)

Common Name:	Cherry Laurel “Otto Luyken “
Botanical Name:	Prunus laurocerasus “Otto Luyken “
Description:	This dwarf cherry laurel is a dense evergreen shrub. It has upright dark green glossy narrow leaves. It has spikes of white flowers in the Spring (and sometimes also in the Autumn) followed by cherry-like fruits.
Native Hedge?	No
Formal or Informal Hedge?	Formal
Evergreen Hedge?	Yes
Ideal Height:	Small – roughly 90cm
Average growth p.a.	Slow (up to 15 cm p.a)
Suitable conditions	Does best in an acid soil but tolerates most types including dry and wet soil.
Unsuitable conditions	Coastal areas, exposed windy sites, chalky soil
Poisonous?	Yes – all parts of this plant are poisonous
Responds to renovation?	Yes – cut back to 60cm stumps.
Planting Distance	45cm
Maintenance:	Medium (prune with secateurs after flowering)

Common Name:	Portugul Laurel
Botanical Name:	Prunus lusitanica
Description:	The Portugul laurel is a dense evergreen shrub with carmine red shoots. It has oval dark-green glossy leaves with spikes of fragrant white flowers in the early Summer followed by fleshy deep-purple fruits.
Native Hedge?	No
Formal or Informal Hedge?	Formal/Informal
Evergreen Hedge?	Yes
Ideal Height:	Medium-Tall (2m-6m)
Average growth p.a.	Slow-Medium (up to 25 cm p.a)
Suitable conditions	Tolerates most types of soil including chalk, dry and wet soils
Unsuitable conditions	Coastal areas, exposed windy sites, chalky soil
Poisonous?	Yes – the berries are toxic
Responds to renovation?	Yes
Planting Distance	45cm
Maintenance:	Trim in June/July

Common Name:	Spotted Laurel
Botanical Name:	Aucuba japonica “Crotonifolia”
Description:	This popular dense hedging plant is often used for brightening up dark corners. It has large glossy dark-green leaves mottled with yellow. They have small purple flowers in the Spring followed by small fruits.
Native Hedge?	No
Formal or Informal Hedge?	Informal
Evergreen Hedge?	Yes
Ideal Height:	Mediuml (2m-3m)
Average growth p.a.	Slow-Medium (15- 25 cm p.a)
Suitable conditions	Tolerates a wide range of conditions including coastal areas, atmospheric pollution, heavy shade and wet sites.
Unsuitable conditions	Chalky soil (although some sources claim it tolerates chalk)
Poisonous?	N/K
Responds to renovation?	N/K
Planting Distance	45-60cm
Maintenance:	Medium – cut old shoots back hard in the Spring to restrict growth

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